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L.A. Film Critics honor Paul Mazursky

October 24, 2010 | 6:44
pm

Oscar-nominated writer-director Paul Mazursky is this year's recipient of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.'s Career Achievement Award for his collective work and contribution to film. The announcement was made early Sunday evening.

“It’s impossible to imagine American independent cinema in its current form without Paul Mazursky, in all his multi-hyphenate glory,” said Brent Simon, president of the organization, in a statement.

Mazursky, 80, began his career as an actor appearing in Stanley Kubrick's first feature, 1953's "Fear and Desire," and as an unruly high school student in 1955's "The Blackboard Jungle." And while his greatest impact has been behind the camera, he continues to act, having appeared on the HBO series "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

He and co-writer Larry Tucker wrote the pilot script to the 1966-68 NBC comedy series "The Monkees." He made his feature screenwriting debut with 1968's "I Love You Alice B. Toklas." He went on to Oscar nominations for his screenplays for 1969's "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," which marked his directorial debut; 1974's "Harry & Tonto," for which Art Carney won the lead actor Oscar; 1978's "An Unmarried Woman" (for which he also received a nomination as producer for the best picture nominee); and 1989's "Enemies, a Love Story." Among his other films are the 1986 box office hit "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," 1973's "Blume in Love" and 1976's "Next Stop Greenwich Village."

Mazursky will receive his honor at the LAFCA awards dinner Jan. 15 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. will announce their choices for the best in cinema of 2010 on Dec. 12.